Hi Jordan,
I am approaching 40 with a lifetime of bad and “could be better” habits behind me. I’ve been training for around 10 years now with only a few layoffs and coronavirus quarantine interrupting that.
I’d really like to dial in meeting the physical activity guidelines. My dayjob is pretty sedentary, most days I get maybe 5-6000 steps. I do make the effort however to hit cardio at the gym in addition to 4x resistance sessions.
My current cardio looks like 4x 20 min sessions of MET 7+ stuff (typically stairmaster) after lifting and 2x 45 mins sessions of activities like Spin Class or MET 7+ on other days. That takes me to roughly 150 mins of “activity” but I’m assuming the MET score may put that in the 500-1000 MET mins recommended by BBM?
Time commitments are a real factor, but I’m really motivated by health and what I’m currently doing seems very doable. Do you think I’m meeting the physical activity guidelines needed for health? I’ve also recently invested in a standing desk and walking pad for home in an effort to add more incidental activity too.
Big thanks in advance!
Ron
Yep, it seems that you’re exceeding the muscle-strengthening guidelines and meeeting the conditioning guidelines. I think if this time commitment is reasonable for you, the next step would be to program your conditioning in such a way that your endurance performance improves. Otherwise, carry on!
Hi Jordan
Thank you, that’s good to know.
I was overweight and obese for some years from childhood into my early 20s where I lost substantial weight. I’ve yoyo’d a bit since I took up training though, I’ve even had some periods where my weight has ballooned a bit above the 30 BMI and around a 40” measurement although I gradually tracked back down.
Right now I’ve managed to get myself down to 27/28 BMI and a 36” waist measurement and I’ve really made an effort with dietary and activity improvements. I’m looking to get down a bit more as well maybe closer to a 33” waist. I understand that BMI really isn’t good in isolation and that weight measurement in conjunction with it is better?
As I’m nearing 40 I’m getting concerned about my risk of things like Cancer and Heart Disease. I haven’t had any health issues thankfully despite doing everything wrong in my youth including processed foods, smoking and being sedentary. But I have a young family now and I’m trying to do my best and alleviate my own fears.
Do you know if there’s any evidence to suggest that weight loss, even going from obese to overweight reduces risk of such comorbidities? Excluding exercise and dietary improvements with which we know are obviously a given!
I guess my question is more have I done enough damage in the first twenty to thirty years of my life, or can I reovrr from that?
thanks!
I think you’re doing great to make the changes you mention. Keep it up!
For BMI. we usually advise using a waist circumference to screen for excess body fat. While some body fat tests (e.g. DEXA) can be very accurate, we don’t really have lots of data on what specific body fat (as measured by this technology) thresholds increase risk of disease. We do have that data for BMI however, albeit not for every single population. Using a waist circumference can be helpful for shoring up BMI’s deficiencies in this manner. For men of European descent, I favor a BMI < 30, waist circumference <35", and a waist to height ratio < 0.5.
Regarding the health outcomes after weight loss, yes, we have overwhelming evidence showing reducing body weight (specifically body fat) markledly improves nearly all health outcomes. We think that obesity confers risk in a dose-dependent manner, where greater (and longer) exposure drives increased risk. Reducing this exposure by a little or a lot helps.
What’s interesting, at least to me anyway, is that there does seem to be some sort of “metabolic memory” or legacy effect with excess body fat, where risk from previous exposure to obesity is not 100% neutralized by losing weight in the future. This makes intuitive sense, as virtually every other physiological variable that confers risk in a dose-dependent manner operates like this. I would try to view this as motivation to persist in your efforts!
-Jordan
Fantastic, thank you for your response! It’s definitely a good motivator for me. I don’t doubt that I won’t always be perfect, but I do believe I am in a place now where things are favorable.
On the subject of metabolic memory and prior obesity? Does this refer to a potential elevated increase in risk for comorbidities like Cancer and Heart Disease due to being previously obese?
IE in the similar respect to someone who had smoked x cigarettes for y number of years before stopping has an increased risk relative to a lifelong non-smoker?
Yes, we do think there is some increased risk conferred from previous obesity. I am not confident about what specific conditions there’s increased risk of and the magnitude of that risk, but I do think there’s something there. Best thing we can do now is move forward and live a health-promoting lifestyle.
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